KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — The country’s Election Commission could consider allowing votes to be cast electronically for future elections in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Tourism, Arts and Culture minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The Borneo Post reported the minister as saying at the launch of Sarawak Sports Challenge Virtual Run in Kuching on Thursday (2 Sep) that at present, “it’s good to prolong the election period, or perhaps use MySejahtera to vote”.
MySejahtera is Malaysia’s contact tracing app. Currently, it has features such as QR code check-ins, as well as details such as the user’s risk status and vaccination status.
“What matters is that the system works fine and the election results will not be tampered with,” said the Asajaya assemblyman.
Under the conventional voting process, voters will have to physically wait in line in typically long queues to cast their ballots at their designated polling stations.
Datuk Abdul Karim said that this may pose challenges to certain voters such as senior citizens.
“They have to go to the polling station, queue either in the hot sun or in the rain. If scanning (e-voting) can be used, why not?”
Touching on the suggestion of a staggered election, the minister said that he had seen some articles stating that elections in the 80s were held in a prolonged manner.
Datuk Abdul Karim said while elections may have been held in such a way then “due to logistics”, the same can be done in the present as a means of curbing the spread of COVID-19.
Deputy Chief Minister James Jemut Masing similarly said at a different event that staggered elections could reduce the risk of further spreading COVID-19, as such a pattern could avoid crowding and congestion at polling centres during the voting process.
“This is nothing new as it has done this before in past elections. The question would be, does the EC have the will to try this mode of voting again. Otherwise, the EC should also look into setting up more polling stations,” said Tan Sri James.
